1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a method for the operation of a postage meter machine, whereby the postage meter machine is used in common by a plurality of users, whereby at least one message (text, graphics, logo, slogan, etc., sometimes referred to as a "cliche") is allocated to each user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is often the desire in smaller undertakings such as, for example, joint offices of free-lancers, craft and service companies to handle the dispatch of mail at a central location and to use the postal equipment in common. Costs and work processes can be saved as a result of the joint use.
The advertising message to be printed on the postal matter, referred to below merely as a message, should also contain particulars in addition to general advertising information with which the undertaking of the user is specifically referenced. At least one message is thus to be provided per user. Since the message should also frequently carry advertising information, for example greetings at Easter, Christmas, etc., or should indicate specific services of the respective user, a plurality of messages are generally to be offered per user, or are to be resupplied by the manufacture during the course of the service life of a postage meter machine.
When purchasing a postage meter machine that can be used jointly by a plurality of users, one message is usually offered at the factory per user, this being activatable by pressing a key. If only one user would like to modify his message, then this new message is produced in the factory and the message data are stored in a read-only memory, for example an EPROM. This read-only memory is sent to the user who plugs it into an open plug-in location of the postage meter machine provided for that purpose. The machine preparation for using this new message, however, are not yet completed. The user must also inform the control unit of the postage meter machine that a new message is specifically available for him and this can be activated by a specific input instruction. The conventional procedure, wherein the user must enter instructions in dialogue with the control, makes the initialization of a new message a complicated procedure that frequently leads to inquiries to the manufacturer and requires that the user be prepared to study the operating instructions of the postage meter machine. There is thus a need for a simple, user-friendly method for establishing a message.
A separate accounting of the postage stamp fees is frequently required by users. A specific cost center to which the fee increments and the fee debits are posted during franking is thus to be allocated to the message or messages of a user. It has already been proposed for this purpose to store the message data on a chip card on which the cost center number belonging to this message is also stored. The postage meter machine automatically enters the message data as well as the associated cost center and assigns a specific operating code to them. Manipulation with a chip card, however, is involved and requires great care on the part of the user.
German OS 37 12 100 discloses that a connection be set up between the postage meter machine and a central via a telephone modem. The message can be modified via this connection in a dialogue procedure between an input keyboard of the postage meter machine and a central computer. The technological outlay is high given this solution and requires good knowledge of the postage meter machine and of the sequence of the dialogue on the part of the user.